TORONTO – CHCH Television and Pelmorex Communications are providing more ways for Ontario residents to receive emergency alerts.
Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) announced Thursday that it is using Pelmorex’s national alert aggregation and dissemination system to distribute its emergency ‘red alerts’ to broadcasters across the province, and CHCH in Hamilton/Toronto is the first over-the-air TV broadcaster to participate in the program.
“As owners of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, we were the first to broadcast Ontario’s ‘red alerts’ using the new system”, said Paul Temple, SVP regulatory and strategic affairs for Pelmorex, in the announcement. “We understand the importance of getting critical, life-saving information to our viewers as soon as possible. And now other broadcasters such as CHCH are also showing leadership by using the system.”
“The entire process was simple to implement and allows CHCH to automatically pass on critical life-saving information to its viewers any time of day. It’s a great way for CHCH to contribute to the safety of the communities it serves,” said Chris Fuoco, VP of sales and marketing for the independent broadcaster.
First introduced in 2008, the red alerts are part of Ontario’s emergency public warning system and are issued when three key criteria are met:
– A municipality or provincial ministry confirms that an incident is occurring and the information has been validated by EMO;
– The emergency poses an immediate threat to the life, safety and property of Ontarians in a specific area of the province; and
– The alert is necessary to inform Ontarians of the danger and tell them what protective measures and other actions can be taken to protect themselves and their family.
www.chch.com
www.alerts.pelmorex.com
www.emergencymanagementontario.ca
